


May 5

by Mierke



Category: Finding Carter (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-27
Updated: 2015-02-27
Packaged: 2018-03-15 12:32:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3447302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mierke/pseuds/Mierke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's May 5th and Taylor is trying to forget. Pre-series AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	May 5

**Author's Note:**

> Written for February Bingo - "Meet & Greet: Karaoke bar"

The last notes of _On My Own_ sung, Taylor made a bow to the scattering of applause and went back to her table. She tuned out the girl who appeared on stage after her, and stared into her coke. 

"That was great," she heard a voice say, and she looked up to see a guy with long, blond hair smiling at her. 

"Thanks," she replied.

"May I join you?"

"Why?" Taylor asked, genuinely baffled. 

"You look like you could need a friend."

Taken aback a bit, Taylor just shrugged. The guy pulled out a chair and sat next to her at the table.

"Have you been here before?"

For a moment, Taylor could hardly hold back her laughter at the cheesy pick-up line, but when she looked at his face she realized it was a genuine question. 

"I don't," she said. "I actually don't do this kind of thing at all."

"Then why are you here?"

Why was she here? Because it was May 5th, and her whole house was one big mourning center. Because it was May 5th, and everyone forgot that one part of the twin was still around, that Lyndon might have gotten kidnapped, but Taylor was still around, still existed, still was a part of the family and had done everything she could to be good enough for two. Because it was May 5th, and she had spent it trying to help Grant through this day that reminded him every single second that he'd been a replacement who could never live up to the original. Because it was May 5th, and she was lonely, and broken, and hurt, and all her parents seemed to care about was that she was not _her_.

"I just needed to get out of the house, you know?"

He smiled at her, as if he knew exactly what she was talking about. There was some pain behind his eyes that she wanted to reach out and touch, even when his smile was so bright that she wanted to kiss it to soak up some of his warmth and happiness.

"Why are you here?"

He vaguely gestured to the girl on stage.

"Friend's birthday."

"She is good," Taylor said, more to have something to say than because she had any real opinion on the matter. She hadn't actually listened to a note the girl had sung.

"You were way better," he said, another smile aimed at her and Taylor felt some of the tight feeling in her gut lessen. 

"Thanks," she smiled back, though her eyes were aimed at her coke. 

The girl on stage belted out the final notes of her song, and bowed with a flourish at the applause.

"Thank you, thank you!" she said. "I would now like to sing a song with a dear friend of mine. Come on, Max!"

The guy next to her stirred, and Taylor thought she saw a hint of disappointment in his eyes.

"That's me," he said. Before leaving, Max laid a hand on hers, and Taylor revelled in the feeling. 

"I really hope I'll see you again."

He had left before she could answer, and Taylor whispered her reply in the crowd.

"You too."

She smiled at Max on stage, grinning as he sang part of the song to her instead of to the girl next to him. For once, May 5th had been about more than being _not Lyndon_. This time, it had been about being _Taylor_.


End file.
